SAMBALPUR: After a stalemate of around 20 days, lawyers of the Sambalpur bar association (SBA) have agreed to resume work in the district court from Tuesday. Members of SBA were abstaining from work following the arrest of lawyers in connection with the vandalism in the district court complex on December 12.
Member of the central action committee (CAC) of all bar associations of western Odisha Pramod Dash said, “Lawyers gathered at the district court on Monday. It was unanimously decided that the lawyers will resume normal work from tomorrow (Tuesday).”
On December 12, a mob barged into the premises of the Sambalpur district court over the demand for the establishment of a high court bench in Sambalpur. They ransacked the court and chamber of the district judge. Following the incident, the Supreme Court had asked Odisha police to take stringent action against those involved in the vandalism. At least 39 people including 30 lawyers were arrested in this connection.
As concerns were raised over the usual functioning of the court and the inconvenience faced by the public, a delegation of BJP had earlier met the judges of Sambalpur court, lawyers of different bar associations, RDC (North), district collector and SP and stressed the need for granting bail to the arrested lawyers to restore normalcy. However, the arrested lawyers are yet to be released from prison.